I Dreamed A Dream - A Starkid fan-fiction
by rogues-assemble
Summary: Fan-fiction including Joe Moses & then eventually the rest of Starkid.
1. Chapter 1

_**I Dreamed A Dream - A Starkid FanFiction**_

**Chapter 1**

OH MY GOD.  
WHAT?  
D-DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?  
T-TO ME?!  
I CANNOT BREATHE.

Joseph-bloody-Moses just tweeted me, and if that wasn't enough for one fangirl to cope with, I'd be meeting him tomorrow night.

Okay, so maybe I should explain.

Joe Moses, (of Starkid fame), is currently in London after the whole RingCon/Euro Starkid trip, and he tweeted earlier about wanting to go see _Les Misèrables_ in the West End before he went home.  
Now, everyone knows you have to book in advance for weekend shows in London. Well... everyone except Joe Moses, apparently.  
It just so happens that I have 2 tickets for tomorrow's show.  
You see, I was planning to spend the weekend in London with someone, but, due to unforeseen circumstances... that's now a definite no-no.

So anyway, feeling really crappy about what's happened and having a whole weekend ruined, I went on the usual social networks to rant and get it all off my chest.  
Twitter was the best bet as none of my followers know me in real-life, and it's kind of nice to talk to people who don't actually know you. Like, they don't judge. Does that even make sense? Whatever. All I mean is that my internet buddies always seem more understanding than the people I see every day.

Before I even had chance to tweet my problems, Joe's update comes up about wanting to seeing _Les Mis_, and without even thinking about it, I replied with -

_**"I've got 2 tickets for tmrw. 1 condition though... You have to take me with you. I promise I'm not a crazy stalker, and I promise not to kill you :)"**_

Just so you know, I totally regret the stupid, unfunny stalker remark... and the stupid smiley face. But I never really imagined he would even see it.

I then went on to do my tweet -

**_"WEEKEND = RUINED."_**

I put my phone down and opened up a book, trying to forget about everything for a while.  
All of a sudden, my phone started going crazy. My lock screen was flooded with twitter notifications and the beeping was unbearable.  
Like, what the hell? Did people really care that much about my weekend being ruined?  
I unlocked my phone and opened twitter to see what all the hype was about. My mentions seemed to be blowing up. I've never been addressed by so many people in my entire life.  
At a quick glance through the list, most of them seemed to say things like -

_**"OMG."**_

_**"NO WAY."**_

_**"I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW LUCKY YOU ARE!"**_

_**"WHAT DID HE SAY?!"**_

So I began to scroll down, and finally, past the backlog of mentions, I see it.

_**" thejoemoses: giddyup_gotham - Sounds perfect :) check your DM!"**_

I cannot even begin to describe the sound that escaped my mouth.  
This couldn't be real.  
This could not be happening.  
I must have fallen asleep or something... I'll wake up soon with my face implanted in _Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire._  
My fingers shook as I tried to tap my way to my direct messages.

**37 NEW MESSAGES.**

Oh god. What is going on?!...  
I tried not to read the preview lines as I scrolled down, I guess I was kind of scared they may have been hate messages from other fans.  
I told myself I was being stupid, though. Of course there wouldn't be any hate, this is the Starkid fandom. Everybody is so nice.  
And there it was.  
Right at the bottom.  
The one name I was looking for.

Joe Moses.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**JOE - "**_**Emma, hi!"**_

Oh my god.

**JOE - **_**"Were you serious about the Les Mis tickets?"**_

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

I have no idea what to say back. I mean come on, this is Joe Moses.  
This is a Starkid.  
THIS IS AN ACTUAL BLOODY STARKID.  
I feel like a child before a test.  
What I type now could make or break this.  
How do I reply without being too vague, but at the same time trying not to confess my undying love and affection for this perfect human being?  
I begin typing.

_**EMMA - "Hello!"**_

Good start.

_**EMMA - "Yes! I am very serious!"**_

Okay, not too bad. Maybe too many exclamation marks, though. I don't want to seem too eager or freak him out.  
I'll just leave it like that and wait for him to reply.

_**JOE - "That's awesome! Thanks so much. So how do you wanna do this?"**_

WHAT?! Don't ask me to decide, god damn it!  
I begin to reply.

EMMA *typing*_** - "Erm, well.. maybe we could meet up beforehand? It starts at 8 pm but we could meet up earlier and go sightseeing or something.. I don't live in London, either, so it'd be cool to look around -**_

Wait. No. That's a bit forward. He probably just wants to see the show and that's all.  
I'll re-word it.

_**EMMA **_ _**-"Well, the show starts at 8 pm. So we could meet outside at say 7:30 pm? That gives us time to get in and stuff."**_

Okay. That seems fine. SEND.

...

...

Come on

...

...

Dude, come on. You're killing me.

...

...

Oh no. He's changed his mind hasn't he?

...

...

*Bleep*  
ASDFGHJKL.

Oh my god, Emma.  
Calm down.

_**JOE - "Well I was actually kinda hoping to make a day of it.. If that suits you? I mean, I wanna see as much of London as I can while I'm here, and it would be awesome to share that with someone."**_

Oh my god.

Oh my bloody god.

WHAT?!

I stare at the screen for a moment, trying to take in the words. Reading and re-reading it, over and over to make sure I understood that right.  
He wants to spend the day with me.  
With ME.  
I just.  
Oh my actual Christ.

_**EMMA - "Really? I was actually going to suggest that aha. I mean, it's your first time here.. may as well make the most of it, right? :)"**_

Damn it! The smiley face again.  
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.  
I don't want to come across as creepy... sometimes smiley faces creep people, (including me), out.

_**JOE - "Exactly! :)"**_

Okay when he does it, it isn't creepy at all.

_**EMMA - "Brilliant. Okay, well, where abouts are you staying? Again, not a stalker haha. Only it'll be easier for me to find my way to you rather than you wandering about getting lost."**_

Eurgh. Did I really just make a joke?  
Emma.  
You're an idiot.

_**JOE - "Haha, True! Okay so, I'm gonna be super forward here and ask for your number. It'll be easier to text and not tweet everything. That okay?"**_

That noise... that inexplicable noise that I mentioned earlier? - that was back.  
Joe Moses from Starkid just asked for my number.

Joseph Moses.

From Starkid.

I re-read his last two words..  
"That okay?"  
Aha.  
Hahaha.  
Hahahahahaha.  
Was that even a serious question?

_**EMMA - "That's absolutely fine! :)"**_

I give him my number and we text into the night, planning where to meet up and what to bring, etc.  
We finally call it a night at half past 12, and we agree to talk again in the morning.

I get into bed and grab my phone just to make sure I hadn't imagined it all.  
I read his last text, over and over.

_**JOE - "Goodnight Emma. Thanks again, and I can't wait to meet you tomorrow. It's gonna be totally awesome."**_

Starkid reference... smooth.

I still can't get over the fact that I'm texting Joe Moses.  
And meeting him tomorrow.  
And spending the entire day with him.  
Oh my god.  
What?

I put my phone on the floor beside my bed and close my eyes.  
I can't help but smile as I try to fall asleep.

But, let's face it...

I will not be sleeping tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

We had agreed to meet at the Starbucks close to Joe's hotel, and after 2 hours of sleep, a shower & 7 outfit changes, I was nearly there. I had started out in black leggings, a pretty purple vest that my sister had brought me as a birthday gift, a black cardigan and my military-style boots. But after several minutes spent staring at the mirror, I decided that I shouldn't dress up. I should go just as I would if I was spending the day with a friend, going to the cinema or something. After all, it'd be awkward if I turned up all smart and Joe was all casual. I eventually settled with my light-blue skinny jeans, an open black & white chequered shirt with a white vest underneath, and my black high-top Converse. I straightened my hair and decided to leave it down, it's quite long now and almost always gets on my nerves, but I always have a bobble on my wrist for when I need to tie it up. Along with the bobble, my left wrist was covered with my usual bracelets and wristbands, including my favourite Starkid one (the black one with the HMB logo on). Now, I'm not usually one to wear make-up, I have sensitive skin so I never really bother with it, at the most I'll wear some mascara but even that does my head in. (I hate not being able to rub my eyes). But today, it seemed suitable. I was also wearing my Marvel messenger bag. I figured Joe would like it as it included Spider-Man, but I practically take it with me everywhere anyway because I love it so much. I crammed it with all the necessities, (my phone, keys, body spray, purse etc) and made my way to the bus stop.  
I mentioned earlier that I don't actually live in London, but I was already there for the weekend I had planned, so the bus ride would only be for 15/20 minutes. I would've taken a taxi, but I figured if I wasn't surrounded by other people and left to my own devices, I'd over think what was happening and get too anxious and not turn up.  
Now I know what you're thinking. NOT TURN UP?! But that's the thing about me, I'm a nervous person. It's not too bad that I'm on medication for it or anything, but I still get really nervous about even the silliest of things.  
So that's why I chose the bus.  
I checked my phone and saw that we were only about 4 minutes away.  
Oh god, here we go. I felt it first in my legs. You all know what I mean. That feeling of turning into mush. It starts at your feet and eventually travels up your legs and into your stomach, which fills with butterflies as the rest of your body starts to feel the effects of your complete anxiety. Like when you're a child and you're about to take a test, or you've broken something in your house and your parents just found out.  
I close my eyes and breathe deeply, trying to calm myself down. I can feel the other passengers' eyes burning into me as they wonder what's going on, but I don't care. All that matters is that when the time comes to stand up and leave the bus, my legs aren't complete jelly and I fall over.  
I hear the bell as someone hits the button to get off and my eyes flash open, I look down at my phone and see that I've arrived at my destination.  
Okay. Here it goes.  
Thankfully my body has complied and I haven't been reduced to jelly, but those butterflies in my stomach will not quit. As I step off the bus, the breeze on my face is much appreciated and I glance into the opposite store's window to catch a glimpse of my reflection. Thankfully, I look okay. My hair's still neat and my face hasn't turned a deep red from the antics on the bus.

I don't need my phone for directions anymore so I stuff it into my back pocket and make my way to Starbucks.  
It was literally round the corner, like, actually on the corner. I wasn't expecting that.  
I reach the door and push my way through. For 9am on a Saturday, it was surprisingly busy. Full of people with a whole day of shopping ahead, I guess. I stand there, right by the door, and scan the room.

And there he was.  
Just sitting there in the corner with his phone in his hands and 2 coffees in front of him. It was like something out of a film. Everything else seemed to become a blur, and all noises around me seemed to fade. Like someone was turning down the volume on this movie-like scene.

Joe began to tap away at his phone, and my heart skipped a beat as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I reach for it and read the text he'd just sent.

_**JOE.M - "Got the coffees in :) Are you nearly here?"**_

(I had saved his name in my phone as Joe.M, as not to confuse him with my little cousin who's also called Joe.)

I loved that he hadn't noticed me yet. I send my reply and I hear his phone go off almost immediately.

_**"Look up :)"**_

I see him smile, and my heart melts.  
He then looks up. At first to my left, and then exactly at me.  
The feeling I got in my stomach as our eyes locked is indescribable, and I feel my face flush pink as he stands up and pulls out the chair next to him... all the while keeping eye contact with me.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

It shocked me how calm I felt as I made my way over to him. I had half expected my legs to fail and cause me to come crashing down on the nearest table, but they didn't... and I felt quite proud of myself, actually. When I reached the little table in the corner, Joe put his hand on my shoulder, and I tried my best not to let that weird, inhuman sound escape my lips for a 3rd time.

"You made it." He said.

Arghhh. His beautifully, deep voice is even more amazing in real life.

"I did." I smiled back and let my hand find his arm. "It's so good to meet you."

We both sat down and I put my bag underneath the table, I saw Joe catch a glimpse of it.

"Wow." He smiled. "I'm digging the bag."

Yes! I knew it was a good idea bringing that. He slid one of the two coffee mugs over to me, and I was grateful of the warmth as I held it in my hands.

"Thanks," I said, in between sips. "I really needed this. It was freezing on the bus!"

"No problem," Joe said as he picked his own coffee up. "I got you the vanilla latté, like you asked."

We'd briefly exchanged coffee preferences while texting last night, and he'd promised to get me my favourite for when I got there. I could smell the caramel shot in his cappuccino as he drank, and I smiled to myself.

"Not going for the Frappuccino, then," I laughed. He'd explained last night how it was his favourite.  
He put down his coffee and shook his head.

"No way," He said. "It's way too cold for that. I mean, I know this is England and everything, but seriously... this weather..."

I knew what he meant. I started to take in my surroundings, and looking outside you'd think it was a summer's day, but the air was still really cold.

"Gotta love Britain," I joked. "You'll get used to it, don't worry."

"Oh no, I've come prepared." He lent sideways to show me the back of his chair. On it was a thick, black bomber jacket, and I could see a pair of gloves & a scarf poking out of the pockets. I smiled, (again), and then looked at was he was wearing. I'm so glad I dressed casual. He'd gone for jeans & Converse, too, and he was wearing a black jumper with a white collar visible at the top. The best part was his hat, though, which was resting on the table next to our coffee mugs.  
You all know which one I'm talking about.

"The infamous Spider-Man cap." I said, and I couldn't help but bite my lip while smiling. I love that bloody hat.  
He laughed and nodded.

"I can't go anywhere without this thing."

Once we'd finished our drinks, we spent another hour just sitting there and chatting. It was amazing how much we had in common, and I couldn't believe how well this was going. We've only just met and already we're talking like we've known each other for years. That doesn't happen to me very often, socializing isn't really my strong point... and yet this was going brilliantly.  
That's the kind of person Joe is. He makes you feel so comfortable and at ease when you're around him, and I was so grateful for that.  
Our conversation had gone from Harry Potter, to Doctor Who, to Starkid and then on to ourselves.  
He told me all about his time at U of M, all the plays and training he'd done. It fascinated me. I love the theatre. He told me what it was like living in America and travelling to different states for JMOMS, and how lucky he was to have achieved all that he has from being in Starkid.  
I told him about myself, that I'm at college studying childcare while working at a nursery one day a week, that I live a 10 minute walk from the beach in Great Yarmouth. I explained my family situation, that I live with my mother, that my dad moved to Newcastle when I was 7 and how most of the rest of my family live in Ireland. I considered confessing how much Starkid has changed my life, and how it'll always be so important to me, but... maybe I'll save that for another time.

He looked down at my hands, noticing the bracelets on my wrist, and asked if they represented anything.

"Well, this one was made by the kids at the nursery for my birthday." I said, pointing at the brightly coloured one. It was one of my favourites. Each of the kids had chosen a particular bead to put on it. So it was really special to me.  
"This one is a friendship bracelet that I've had for years." I'd brought a few for me and my close friends on a holiday to Spain when I was in Middle School. I rarely speak to them now though, after moving away, but we still keep some contact over Facebook. To be honest, it wasn't really about the friendship factor anymore, I just really liked the woven bracelet.  
He loved that I was wearing the Jim and The Povolos USB wristband, I told him they were my favourite band, and he liked that even more.  
I then went on the explain how the others didn't really mean anything and were just there because I liked them. I love things like that. I just love how you can wear so many different items on your wrist, making it look crazy, yet beautiful.

"And you obviously know this one." I smiled as I pointed out my HMB wristband.

"I do." He smiled back. "Holy Musical Batman is one of my favourite Starkid productions." He said.  
I loved that, because it was my favourite too.  
"What about that one?" He asked, looking at my other wrist.

"Oh yeah," I said nervously. "This is my medical I.D bracelet. I'm diabetic." I said.

(Why I hadn't mentioned this earlier, I don't know. Sorry about that.)

"Oh okay." He said, his face unchanging. I had expected it to flood with pity or something, that happened a lot when I told people of my condition, but it didn't.  
"Can I take a look?" He asked, politely.

I smiled and nodded. How can you say no to that face?  
He took my hand in his and undid the clasp on the inside of my wrist.  
The bracelet is basically a silver watch strap, but without the watch part. It's got a long, silver tab across the front which you can have engraved. On the outer side it has the universally recognised medical emergency symbol filled in red, and on the inside is the inscription -

Emma Jean Dixon  
Type 1 Diabetes  
I.C.E: (my mother's number)

"I love your name." He grinned, and my stomach did a flip.  
"This is really nice," He continued, "and it's cool that you're not embarrassed to wear it. Not that you should be or anything. It's just I have a friend who's got a heart condition, and he never wears any I.D because he doesn't like being labelled as 'different'."  
"But it's who you are, right? Why hide that?"

I silently nodded, admiring him for that last comment. It was kind of beautiful, and I'd never thought about it like that before.  
After the sudden realization that I'd been staring dreamily into his huge, adorable eyes for the past 10 seconds, I blurted out -

"So!"  
"Wanna get out of here?" I nervously laughed "Where did you want to go first?"

He stood up and started to get his things together, I did the same. Whilst we'd been chatting, Starbucks had become extremely busy, but I hadn't even noticed the other customers. It was like we'd been in an entire world of our own for the past hour and a half.  
As we walked towards the door, Joe put his arm around my shoulder.

"I've got a few ideas." He grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

London was beautiful. I can't believe I've never been here before. I mean, when I was in middle school my friend's mother had taken us to see The Lion King, (which was completely breathtaking, totally recommend it to everyone), but we'd never gone sightseeing or shopping, we just went straight to the theatre and then straight back home. So it was really nice to be able to see everything this place had to offer.

We thought we'd start with the most obvious option - an open-top bus tour, and it was amazing. Not just because of all the sights, but because I was spending time with Joe. It was just so surreal. The tour guide stood at the front of the bus, filling everybody with information of our surroundings as we drove past.  
As lovely as she was, Joe and I weren't paying any attention to her whatsoever. We spent most of the time chatting about the most random things. It was like one of those conversations you have with your best friend. It's not about anything in particular, but it's just perfect. There were about 10 other people on the bus with us, the closest being an old couple, and 20 minutes into the tour, they tapped Joe on the shoulder and asked if he'd take a picture of them as we reached Tower Bridge.

"Sure," He smiled, taking the camera. He pressed a few buttons trying to get it to the right setting.  
He was failing miserably.

"Give it to me," I said as I took the camera from him. "Honestly..." I shook my head, laughing.  
As I walked past Joe to get a better angle of the old couple, he nudged my leg with his knee and I couldn't help but giggle like a school girl.  
Seriously. This boy is turning me to mush.  
We passed over Tower Bridge and the couple stood at the back of the bus as I knelt in the aisle to get the perfect picture. I love photography, and these guys seemed so nice, so I wanted to get a great one for them.. and I did! We viewed it together once we'd sat down again, and I had timed it perfectly. The arch was right behind them and the sun provided the most beautiful lighting.

"That's wonderful, dear, thank you very much." The woman said.  
"Would you like us to take one of you and your boyfriend?"

Oh my god.  
I waited for Joe to speak, but he didn't.

"We're not actually... I mean we've only just met today and -" I was rambling, and I could feel my face turning red as I spoke. I turned to Joe for help, and he laughed.

"We're just friends, I'm afraid." He said to the woman.

Okay, what?  
What was that supposed to mean? Is he actually disappointed that we're "just friends", or was he just trying to be polite? Saying that, though, I'm a lot more happy than I would've been if he hadn't added the "I'm afraid" at the end.  
The lady's voice distracted me from my thoughts and brought me back into the conversation...

"Well that's a shame, dear." She said. "You'd make a lovely couple."

Oh wow. I wanted to hug her for saying that. But my face was still burning and Joe seemed to be completely silent behind me, so to make this moment less awkward for all of us, I tried to make a joke .  
"Well," I said. "Not too sure about this one yet." Gesturing towards Joe. "He's seems a bit 'too good to be true' at the minute. You've gotta be careful, you know? Lovely fellas like yours don't come along that often." I smiled.  
I was proud of that last bit, and the couple seemed to like it too.

"Well, what can I say?" Joked the man, smiling. He took his wife's hand and they continued with their own conversation, pointing at various things as the bus carried on.

"Nice." Joe nodded.

"I know right?" I laughed. "I'm quite pleased with that one."

"Come on," He said. "Let's get off and get some pictures."

Oh wow, he was actually being serious about the picture thing.  
He pressed the button for the bust to stop and we made our way off, saying goodbye to the old couple, who thanked us for our kindness.

Pictures.  
I hate pictures.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nobody likes their picture taken, right? Especially someone like me, who is not photogenic in the slightest. I'm one of those people who will spend ages trying to take a decent profile picture just for Facebook, and then try to fade into the background whenever someone else whips out their camera. But this would be different, I told myself. This would be completely different...  
This was a photo opportunity that I would never want to turn down. The chance to capture the best day of my life so far, something to look back on once Joe had gone back to America and I had been plunged back to reality.

"Ever wanted to be a princess?" Joe smiled as he pointed towards Buckingham palace.

"Not quite," I laughed. "While all the other little girls wanted to be whisked away by Prince Charming, there I was pretending to cast spells with my little makeshift wand that I'd made from a stick in the garden."

"Really?" Said Joe. "That's kinda awesome." He smiled.

I love it when he does that.

"And there was me trying to figure out the best way to sweep you off your feet."

As we made our way over to the gates of the palace, we noticed one of the guards at the entrance. He was one of those who wasn't allowed to move, dressed all in red and wearing one of those great big, black fluffy hats.

"Well that's a definite." I said. Joe seemed to agree as he already had his camera out and was adjusting the zoom.

"Go on then!" He urged and I nervously stood directly beside the guard.

"Hello!" I said. "Don't mind me..." I edged closer. "I just want to get a picture, if that's okay?"  
He wasn't having any of it. So I stood directly in front of him.  
"Nice day!" I said enthusiastically, trying to get a response.

"Absolutely beautiful!" Joe joined in, positioning himself right alongside me and the guard, to get a good picture.

"Aren't you hot in all that gear?" I said, looking him up and down. "Bet you're dying to take that hat off."  
I reached up and removed the guard's hat, but still, no movement.  
I looked over at Joe, defeated.

"Let's just take a picture, shall we?"

Joe approached the nearest passerby and asked if they could take the picture for us. He then took his place next to the guard.

"Well, this just won't do!" He said  
He took his Spider-Man hat off and placed it on the guard's head. We heard a couple of people behind us laugh, and we couldn't help but join in.

"Hold on." I said, grabbing Joe as he tried to assume photo position.

"What's up?" He said, confused.

"Well," I started. "If he's wearing your hat..." I smiled. "It's only fair that you should wear his."

I pulled him close and placed the big, black, fluffy hat on top of his head.  
(Is he actually letting me do this?) I thought as I started to fasten the strap beneath his chin.  
He was. And he almost seemed delighted. His eyebrows were raised and he was grinning. I finished fastening the strap and put my hands back down at my sides... and if I'm not mistaken.. we seemed to be lingering.

My mind was drowning in thoughts.

Can you imagine?  
Can you imagine if we kissed right there and then?  
I know we've only just met, but still...  
And what if the guy holding the camera was to capture that moment?  
That's one photo I wouldn't mind being in.  
My body flooded with goosebumps as I stared at the boy in front of me, completely losing myself in his gaze.  
One step closer and our faces would be inches away from touching.

Just.

One.

Step.

"I can't stay all day, you know!" The guy with the camera shouted over.

And just like that, I was yanked back into the real world... and the moment was gone.

"Oh right," I whispered slowly, trying not to let my nervous laughter get the better of me. "Totally forgot about him."

"Well... we'd better hurry up." Joe smiled back.

The next thing I knew, Joe had swept me up in his arms and was holding me in the classic 'newlywed' pose.

"JOE!" I shouted, trying to wriggle my way out. (I was secretly completely loving it, by the way... who wouldn't?)

"Come on!" Joe laughed back at me, tightening his grip. "This is the closest I'll get to sweeping you off your feet, remember"

If I wasn't in his arms, I swear I'd be swooning. Although he did look ridiculous in that hat. I put my arms around his neck and we posed for the camera, with the Spider-Man-hat-wearing guard behind us.

"Done!" The passerby said, hastily making his way over to us.

"Thank you very much." I smiled, as he handed back Joe's camera and walked away.

After putting me down, exchanging back hats and thanking the guard for his wonderful conversational skills, we moved away from the gates and looked at the photo.

It was brilliant.  
Joe looked ridiculous yet gorgeous, and I didn't look too bad in his arms, either.  
Thank god for that.  
We both had the biggest smiles on our faces.  
And at a closer look... we could have sworn the guard was smiling too.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

An hour and a half later, and with 30% battery left on the camera, Joe and I searched for a place to eat. It was 1 pm and London was still looking beautiful, the sun was beaming down on the river as we walked up the bank of the Thames, me with my purple Starkid sunnies on and Joe with his green ones.

We decided to stay outdoors for lunch, so we found a little sandwich shop and sat down on the grass with our food.

It was such a perfect moment. From where we were sitting we had a full view of The London Eye, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.  
Conversation turned to my Diabetes after Joe had watched me take my injection while we ate.

"So were you born with it or?" Joe asked taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"No," I took a sip of my water, clearing my throat.  
"I got it when I was 14." I said.

Joe nodded.  
"And is it hard? Tell me to shut up if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, no, it's fine." I smiled.  
"It gets pretty annoying sometimes, and I do get down about it, but I get over it. It's something I'll have to put up with for the rest of my life, so there's no point crying about it. I just have to get on with it."

Joe put his hand on my shoulder, taking a sip of his water, too.  
"You're kinda great, you know?" He said, and we shared a smile.

Once we'd finished eating, we just sat there taking in the views and enjoying each other's company.  
I noticed a group of girls looking at us as they walked past, and one of them stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh my god." She said, nudging her friends.  
The four of them started running over.  
"Are you?" One girl said.  
"He is!" Another added.  
"You are, aren't you?"  
"You're Joe Moses!"

They couldn't have been any older than fifteen, judging from what they were wearing.

Joe stood up to greet them.  
"Hey," He said.  
"Nice to meet you." He started to sign various items they passed him and then their attention turned to me.  
"This is Emma." He held out his hand to help me up.

"Hello." I said, smiling at the girls as he pulled me up.  
"Nice to meet you."

They nodded and smiled back. I couldn't tell whether they were being nice or just polite because Joe was here. I stood there awkwardly as they told Joe how much they love Starkid and how totally awesome he was, I really wanted to get my phone and pretend to have a phone call just to escape this moment, but I decided against it. I'm 20 years old, for gods sake, if I can't cope with a group of fifteen year olds, I seriously need help.

When they finally walked off, I sat back down.  
Joe sat beside me.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Nothing." I shook my head.

"No, come on, what's up?"

"I don't know really," I answered.  
"That was just a bit awkward. I think they'd have preferred it if I hadn't have been here."

Joe put his arm around my shoulder and nudged me with his own.  
"Well I wouldn't have."

"Well yeah, but that that's just because I still have your ticket for Les Mis." I joked, but to be honest, I had been thinking this the whole day.

"Well maybe," Joe took his arm from around my shoulder and I couldn't stop my face from looking hurt.  
"Hey!" He said, quickly assuming position.  
"I'm kidding." This time reaching his other arm around, as well, so we were kind of cuddling.  
I let my body lean against his and I could feel my goosebumps returning.

"Honestly," Joe continued. "I'm so glad it was you who replied to me on Twitter. I'm so glad I met you."

Those last six words rang through my head as I sat there in his arms.  
I can't believe this, it all seems too good to be true, but I pray that it is actually happening. I half expect to keep waking up with my head still in my Harry Potter book.

All my life I've felt so abnormal, like I've never fitted in.  
Yet now, today, here I am in London, sitting with Joe, and feeling like I finally belong somewhere.

I never want this feeling to pass.

I never want this day to end.

And if this is just a dream... I never want to wake up.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

We'd been sitting there for what seemed ages, sharing earphones and listening to the music on my iPhone. We had the same taste in music so we were both content. As time went by, I watched the people of London walk by, some with their families, some by themselves, and some just simply walking their dogs. I noticed that a few of them would look over at Joe and I as they passed.

"What do you think they're looking at us for?" Joe asked me.

"Well," I said, picking at the grass in front of me.  
"They might think we're a couple, and they're thinking how cute it is that we're sitting in the middle of London having a picnic." I shrugged, jokingly.  
"That's what the older people are thinking, anyway."

"And the others?" Joe pointed to a family nearby, two children, maybe 9 or 10 years old, were staring at us while eating their ice cream.

"Joe." I said, laughing.  
"You're wearing a Spider-Man hat. That thing could distract anybody."

"Oh right!"

I looked over at the two boys, who were still staring at us. I made the classic Spider-Man action with my hand, pretending to cast a web with my fingers, and with their free hand (the one not holding their ice creams), they mirrored the pose. Joe joined in too. When the parents noticed what they were doing, they quickly ushered the boys on, continuing with their sightseeing. They waved goodbye as they passed us and we smiled and waved back.

"How sweet was that?!" I said, watching them walk away.

"Very sweet," Joe smiled at me. "You like kids?" He asked.

"I'm studying childcare and work at a nursery." I laughed. "I think kids are brilliant."

At that point, Joe's mobile beeped in his pocket.

"It's Lauren." He said, reading his text.

Oh my god. What? Does he mean who I think he means?

"Lauren... Lopez?" I asked.

"Yup. She's asking how London is."

I can't believe this. As if he's texting Lauren Lopez right now. I wonder if he'll mention me.. I mean, I am a part of his London experience, right? That would be so amazing. For Lauren Lopez to know who I am, and actually acknowledge my existence.

"She says hello." Joe smiled, showing me his phone.

_**That's awesome! Say hi to Em for me :) I'm so glad you're lovin it! Can't wait to get over there myself. It's gonna be craycray x**_

Okay. Now I'm freaking out inside. And Joe can obviously tell because he's laughing.

"You okay?" He grinned.

"Yes!" I giggled.  
"Completely okay. More than completely okay! As if she just said hi to me."

Joe returned his phone to his pocket.

"And.. she called me Em?" I smiled.  
"I love that. That's what my best friend calls me... and my mum." I laughed.

"Nicknames are the best." Joe smiled.  
"Plus that's what your down in my phone as."

Oh wow. Loving this.

"I've put you down as JoMo in mine," I said, laughing.  
"Partly because that's what the fandom calls you, and partly because I know more than one 'Joe', but still... I love that nickname."

I checked my phone and couldn't believe the time.

"It's nearly 5:30!" I showed him.  
"We've been sitting here for hours!"

"Wanna go get something to eat?" Joe said, getting up and extending his arm to help me up, too.

"Absolutely," I nodded, getting up.  
"I'm so hungry now."

We gathered our things, put our rubbish in the nearest bin and set off to find somewhere to eat.  
After a few minutes, we came across a little Italian. Spaghetti Bolognese, I thought. That would definitely hit the spot.  
As we walked inside and got seated, my thoughts drifted to the night still to come.  
Nearly time for Les Mis, I thought to myself.

And I cannot wait.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next few hours went way too fast than I hoped for. The show was amazing, and every so often I'd glance over at Joe to see if he was enjoying it. He seemed to be, and I could hardly blame him. Why I hadn't come to see this before, I have no idea. A couple of times I'd catch Joe looking back at me, and we'd both look away quickly, hoping the other didn't notice. But we did.

We spent intermission in the bar, talking about the show and how amazing it was so far. The ice-cold Pepsi Max was a relief to my system, definitely needed to stock up on this for the next hour and 30 minutes.

But before I knew it, the show had ended and we were walking out of the theatre. I was speechless. My body was full of emotions, and Joe must have felt the same because neither of us had said anything yet.

"Amazing, right?" I said as we walked through the busy streets, which were filled with the Les Mis crowd all making their way back home or to the nearby hotels.

"Unbelievable." Joe replied. He put his arm around my shoulder. "Thank you so much for this."

We carried on walking, the night sky was full of stars and lit up with the lights of London. So beautiful. I didn't even care that I was so cold, I had Joe's arm around me and I couldn't be more happier.

But then it dawned on me. The night was over, and chances are, I 'd never see Joe again. This wonderful man who's come into my life and, even just for one night, has managed to make me incredibly happy. I wanted so bad to tell him how much it's meant to me, him being here. But how do you put something like that into words? That I've enjoyed every second of his company, that I'm so grateful he decided to spend his time with me, and that I honestly didn't want him to leave? I went over and over the conversation in my head, and in every scenario I came out looking like an idiot. Why can't I just say how I feel and be done with it?

"You okay?" said Joe, obviously my face had conveyed the madness currently unfolding in my mind. I stopped dead in my tracks.

_Just say it, Emma._

I turned to face Joe, grabbing his hands in mine.

"Look," I started. "I know you're leaving tomorrow, and I know you're probably not even thinking twice about it. But I just wanted you to know.."

That feeling was coming back. The jelly legs, anxiety bollocks from earlier.

"I just wanted to let you know.. that this has been amazing. Not just the show, but the entire day. This has possibly been the best day of my life, and that might sound ridiculous to you but I mean it.. and it's all because of you. And I know we've only just met but, right here.. right now.. with you... it's just perfect."

I couldn't believe it. That was so easy, I didn't even have to think about it too much, it all just came pouring out of my mouth.

Joe didn't say a word. He just stood there looking at me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I've freaked you out.."

Still, nothing.

"Look, can we just forget I blurted that all out?" I laughed, nervously.

Joe shook his head.

"No." He said, removing his hands from mine and placing them on my face. His touch gave me the shivers, but in a good way. We broke eye contact as his gaze moved down to my lips, and I tried my hardest to control my breathing as he started leaning in.

_Oh my god. This is it. Nothing can ruin this moment._

And then finally...

Our lips met.  
And the world around us seemed to spin out of existence. Right there in that moment, it was just me and him. Nothing else mattered. I put my arms around his neck as we both pressed deeper into the kiss, and Joe's hands moved from my face to the middle of my back, pulling me closer.  
When we did finally break apart, we just stood there, swaying, trying to regain our balance, our foreheads touching and still in each other's arms.  
It was more amazing than I could ever have imagined.

I looked into his eyes, and at times like these you'd expect to be able to keep it together. I mean, this was the most romantic moment ever. But no, my goofy face couldn't help but emerge and I started smiling like an idiot.  
But, as Joe leaned in for another kiss, I could feel him smiling, too.


End file.
